Review: Serino Royale Connecticut

Serino Cigar Co. is a small batch producer, putting quality over quantity. Now, I feel little funny saying that, since it seems to a bit cliche, but it is a noble quality to aspire to and I'll let the cigar speak for that. They are blended by Omar Gonzalez Aleman, who has blended at some very well known factories in his career and now owns his own factory, La Corona Cigar S.A.

Prelight: This is a really gorgeous looking cigar. The Connecticut wrapper is slightly veiny, yet smooth and light tan in color. The color contrast on the bands is very appealing, with a design that is elegant, without being overly complicated. The wrapper has a spicy cedar aroma up front and a lot of aged tobacco aromas. There is also a natural creamy, sweetness lying underneath. The cold draw tastes like dry cedar with a mix of natural tobacco sweetness.

Beginning: The initial puffs from this Serino Royale Connecticut peak my interest. First there is a generic sweetness, that I have come to expect from a Connecticut. But, this quickly shapes up into graham cracker and toasted marshmallow with a perfect sprinkle of spice. This spice tingle the lips and tongue just right to add a little something to a Connie. At first it was a dry, cedar spice, but it morphs into a clean, white pepper note. The finish is dry & spicy with the occasional creaminess. The smoke production is medium and the burn, though a tad wavy, is burning without needing correction.

Middle: The marshmallow and sweet notes fade out in the second third of this Serino Connecticut. The main profile becomes much more toasty, with hints of nuts and wood. It is a very smooth profile, with zero harshness and a calming smoke. The retrohale ramps up the flavors, with a smooth nostril burn and the addition of a deep honey note. The end result is a sweet, honey & hay flavor, with a toasted grain note on the finish. Still a mostly even burn, medium smoke level and nice ash.

End: The final third has more of a chalky finish, not flavor just mouth feel, which I feel is from the marshmallow flavor coming back. But this time it is more like a smoked marshmallow cream flavor and texture. There is also an oakiness which takes over the forefront.

Final Thoughts: From start to finish the Serino Royale Connecticut was a mild to medium strength cigar, with the body running on the low side of medium. Quality was very good and I had no issues with burn or ash. This is a VERY solid Connecticut. That being said, it doesn't quite beat out a few of my favorite Connies, but that is wholly a personal preference.